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Services & Ministry

Hardworking men and women of the maritime industry make huge sacrifices to provide the world with a way of life to which it has become accustomed. Spending many months on board a vessel, away from family and friends, mariners face dangers and challenges unique to their round-the-clock profession.

Away from the support of their local communities, SCI gives mariners a place to feel "at home." The Institute offers a warm welcome at a seafarers’ center in the Port of New York and New Jersey. SCI also meets mariners right where they work—aboard cargo ships and on the vessels that travel the inland river waterways of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico.

As part of its round-the-clock ministry, SCI maintains a staff of professional chaplains with interfaith and cross-cultural backgrounds. Chaplains and volunteers assist thousands of mariners each year, offering a hand of friendship and pastoral care. They also bring with them practical services like wire transfer forms, calling cards, and cell phones to connect with loved ones at home.

SCI provides a wide spectrum of support services—chaplaincy, legal aid, and continuing maritime education. Whenever a mariner connects with SCI, he or she can count on a comprehensive response.